Morning Sports Update
“He’s an incredible athlete.”
Caleb Durbin’s wrestling background: Caleb Durbin is hoping to place his greatest foot ahead with the Red Sox after being acquired in a trade earlier in February.
And in the case of defensive positioning, the 25-year-old’s background might present a leg-up. Although he performed largely third base as a rookie with the Brewers a season in the past, Durbin has expertise at second base too (and may very well be requested to play there by Boston supervisor Alex Cora).
“Quick man, decrease to the bottom,” Cora mentioned of Durbin, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “I acquired some those that work for the Brewers. They are saying that when he goes down on the bottom, he comes up very fast. I do know it’s his wrestling background. He used to wrestle. So he’s an incredible athlete.”
Durbin, who hit .256 with 11 house runs and 53 RBIs in 136 video games in 2025, initially hails from Illinois. Whereas at Lake Forest Excessive College, he adopted within the footsteps of his father and brother as multi-sport abilities. A part of this meant wrestling. Durbin helped Lake Forest set a school record for twin crew wins in 2015, and he even acquired D-III gives to wrestle in faculty.
Ultimately, he opted to pursue baseball on the collegiate degree, enjoying for Washington College in St. Louis.
“I get requested rather a lot like what from wrestling interprets into baseball,” Durbin told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. “I feel [staying low is] one of many greatest issues. Clearly, you must hold good positioning in wrestling. So it’s one thing that undoubtedly comes naturally to me on the sphere once I’m enjoying protection.”
Past the bodily comparisons, the mentality of a wrestler is one thing Durbin’s coaches have typically praised.
“Caleb is an especially powerful younger man, mentally and bodily,” Durbin’s faculty baseball coach, Pat Bloom, said in a 2024 interview.
And even going again to his days at Lake Forest, the varsity’s wrestling coach (Matt Fiordirosa) cited Durbin as “very humble and exhausting working” in 2015.
The Crimson Sox infield scenario stays removed from settled, so Durbin’s precise position is but to be decided. If Boston prospect Marcelo Mayer can return from damage and make a strong case to start at third base, Durbin’s place might shift.
Trivia: What former Patriots offensive lineman was a freestyle world champion wrestler (and a two-time NCAA champion) earlier than improbably switching to soccer?
(Reply on the backside).
Trace: He was a member of three Patriots Tremendous Bowl winners (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX).
Scores and schedules:
The U.S. ladies’s hockey crew performs Canada within the gold medal sport for the 2026 Winter Olympics at the moment at 1:10 p.m.
Tomorrow, the U.S. males’s hockey crew faces Slovakia within the Olympics semifinal at 3:10 p.m.
Tonight, the Celtics return to the courtroom after the All-Star break to play the Warriors on the highway at 10 p.m.
And on Saturday, the Revolution open the 2026 MLS common season at Nashville with an 8:30 p.m. kickoff.
Extra from Boston.com:
The majesty of the Olympics: Nazgul the canine, in slow-motion.
On this present day: In 2018, the Crimson Sox signed J.D. Martinez. Although a relatively later free agent addition — Boston gamers had been already gathered at spring coaching — the acquisition proved to be a direct success. Martinez hit .330 with 43 house runs and a league-leading 130 RBIs in 2018, serving to the Crimson Sox win the World Collection.
Every day spotlight: Quinn Hughes received it for Group USA in extra time towards Sweden in Wednesday’s Olympic quarterfinal matchup.
Trivia reply: Stephen Neal
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